


Concealed

by Alyssa_Allyrion



Series: Till death do us part [7]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Adventure, Angst, F/M, Falling In Love, Introspection, M/M, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 12:31:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15073214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alyssa_Allyrion/pseuds/Alyssa_Allyrion
Summary: During the deadly voyage upon the Black Whale, Illumi plays a dangerous game of trying to conceal from the Phantom Troupe - and his own brother - where his true loyalties lie, while trying to ensure successful execution of his plan with Hisoka. The sudden turn of events requires him to seek help from an unlikely ally - Kurapika, who finds himself in a difficult situation as the line between professional and personal relationship with queen Oito Hui Guo Rou begins to blur.





	1. Chapter 1

Illumi stopped for a moment, thinking through their next steps. Getting up to the third deck of the Black Whale was remarkably easy, however, traveling any further would require significantly more effort. The large metal door connecting the third deck to the two upper decks was locked from the other side and under constant surveillance from the military. Breaking the door while fighting the guards was, of course, an option, but it was neither practical nor reasonable – after all, even professional assassins could fight only _that many_ enemies at a given time. Besides, if Illumi and Kalluto were to succeed, the rest of the soldiers would most certainly attempt to find and kill them, and being pursued by a couple thousand people was the last thing they needed if they wanted to be discreet. 

_Yes, contacting mafia is a much better plan,_ Illumi thought to himself. The door between the first and second decks and the rest of the ship was closed, but Illumi learned that the passengers from the upper decks were still conducting secret deals with those from the lower decks with the help of the Heil-Ly mafia family. Seeking out a member of that mafia family who would be able to help them get to the upper decks proved to be easier than Illumi expected. 

Illumi and Kalluto met the man in the vista area of the third deck. The man looked very unremarkable and had the most forgettable face Illumi has ever seen. _How very convenient for his trade,_ Illumi thought. The man promised to lead them to the second deck for a rather steep price, but Illumi did not mind – the success of the plan was his paramount concern. 

“I will meet you at two in the morning at the agreed place,” the man said before disappearing into the crowd. Illumi and Kalluto had quite a bit of time to kill, and Illumi decided to remain on the vista part of the deck for a little while. There were surprisingly many people in the vista area at this time of the day. Kalluto walked by Illumi’s side looking rather weary. 

Illumi preferred to work alone, but the plan required him to team up with Kalluto – both to keep Hisoka from killing his brother and to use Kalluto’s very helpful spying ability. _Kalluto is not Killua, of course,_ Illumi thought to himself, _But mother loves him and she would be devastated if something were to happen to him._ Illumi thought it was best to avoid unnecessarily angering their mother. 

Illumi did not trust Kalluto, however, not after seeing how close his brother have become with the rest of the Troupe. If Illumi did not know better, he would have thought that Kalluto got _attached_ to them in a way that was only reserved for the family. _Divided loyalties could cause all sorts of troubles in the future,_ Illumi mused, looking at his brother. The situation was, of course, nothing a few needles couldn’t fix, but, unfortunately, they did not have time for that in the moment, so Illumi simply had to keep Kalluto from learning the truth.

After all, Kalluto would ultimately benefit from Hisoka and Illumi’s plan too – when the rest of the Troupe perishes, Kalluto, as the only surviving member will be able to start anew, and become the leader of the new Phantom Troupe. _With a needle in his brain of course, so he does not come for revenge._ If Kalluto were to learn of the plan now, Illumi knew that his brother would not appreciated. _In due time, however, he will be grateful to me._

“Do you really think he is on the upper deck?” Kalluto asked, distracting Illumi from his thoughts.  
“I’ve known Hisoka for a while, so I know how he thinks,” Illumi replied, looking at Kalluto, “He wants to fight the Troupe, so he will be in the place where he thinks they will _have_ to go to. Now where do you think the most notorious band of thieves would eventually head to?”

“To the treasure vault,” Kalluto replied, seemingly remembering Chrollo’s words about stealing the treasures of the Kakin Royal family. After a short pause he added, “But wouldn’t it make more sense to hide on the lower levels? After all, there are so many people there, it is so easy to hide.”

“It would to you and I, but this is Hisoka we are talking about. He loves his theatrics,” Illumi explained. 

“Why did you take the contract?” Kalluto asked after a short pause. 

“Because it paid well for a rather manageable task,” Illumi responded, “And because, as I said before, I knew that eventually one of us would kill the other.”

“But you agreed to get married…” Kalluto protested. 

“As I said, sooner or later one of us would want to kill the other. It is nice that we get to take care of this issue sooner rather than later,” Illumi replied calmly. 

Kalluto nodded, seemingly convinced by Illumi’ words. If he was not, nothing in his face betrayed that. _We trained him well._

As they walked around the vista the crowd was quickly thinning. Illumi thought about asking Kalluto to check in on other members of the Troupe. After all, if they do anything _unexpected_ , that could seriously impair the plan. 

Illumi’s thoughts drifted to Hisoka. It has been more than ten days since they have last seen each other. _Well, less._ Illumi chased the thought out of his mind. Who knew what kind of abilities the members of the Troupe had, what kinds of abilities Chrollo has stolen. He could not let on that he knew that Hisoka was closer than the Troupe thought, as that would be detrimental to their plan. Hisoka, of course, loved nothing better than throwing plans into disarray and acting on a whim, but Illumi was not like that. He had a well thought out course of action and he would follow that course until changes were _absolutely_ necessary. 

Suddenly a loud alarm rang, and the few people who were still in the vista area quickly cleared out. Illumi pondered if he and Kalluto should leave, but in the end they decided to remain where they were.

“Sounds like something bad happened,” Kalluto remarked. 

“Or they simply want you to think that,” Illumi said. 

Suddenly there were loud steps behind them and a number of soldiers appeared. Illumi remained calm, waiting to see how the situation would play out. 

“Raise your hands and turn around slowly!” One soldier exclaimed. “Did you not hear the emergency announcement?”

Upon checking their tickets, the man offered to escort Illumi and Kalluto to the upper art of the third deck, but Illumi refused the offer. 

“The passageway between the second and third floors is under surveillance and freely travelling is impossible,” the soldier explained, frowning at them, “It will likely remain that way until we reach the New Continent.”

Illumi already knew that information, but did not say anything. As the soldier repeated the offer to escort Illumi and Kalluto to the upper part of the third deck, two familiar men appeared behind him. Illumi knew they were both hunters, but it took a while for him to recall their names – Botobai and Mizaistom. 

After Botobai and Mizaistom informed the soldier that Illumi was a hunter as well, the soldier relented, informing Illumi that he would need to register with the police in order to remain on the third deck. Illumi was not planning to stay for long, but they did not need to know that, so he agreed to register. 

After the soldiers left, Mizaistom turned to Illumi, looking concerned. 

“Is the Spider on board?” he asked. 

Illumi hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should say anything. On one hand, it was not part of their plan. On the other hand – having the military hunt and potentially kill some of the members of the Troupe would be convenient – after all, that meant less work for Hisoka and him. 

“Yes, they are. All of them,” Illumi said after a pause. 

“Brother!” Kalluto exclaimed, looking concerned. 

“What can I say, I am an honest person,” Illumi simply replied. 

They followed Mizaistom and Botobai to the rooms. The trip was rather long, as it appeared the living quarters were on the other side of the deck. The room was rather small – it only fitted a bed and a small nightstand. Kalluto followed Illumi into his room. 

“Why did you tell them?” Kalluto asked. 

“About what?” Illumi wondered. 

“About the Troupe.”

“A few soldiers are nothing the Troupe cannot handle. Besides, if they are distracted, we have less competition – I would like to collect the full reward for my contract,” Illumi explained. 

Kalluto nodded, seemingly reassured by Illumi’s words.  
“Now then,” Illumi said, “How about we check up on the other members of the Troupe?”

“Why?” Kalluto asked. 

_To see if everything is according to plan._ “To see if they have made any progress – after all, while I am convinced Hisoka is waiting around the treasure vault on the upper decks, who knows.”

After ensuring with the help of the assassin abilities that they were not being watched, Kalluto pulled out his paper dolls, and Illumi wondered if Kalluto has one of him as well. _Does not matter, I will not say anything to give the plan away anyways._

The dolls of most of the Troupe members remained silent, and a few were having irrelevant discussions, but the conversation between Chrollo, Shizuku and Bonolenov caught Illumi’s attention. 

“We searched all over the fourth deck and were not able to find him,” Shizuku said flatly, “I do not think he is here.”

“Where else would he be?” Bonolenov asked then, and after a pause added, “Unless he is not here at all – what if he is on one of the two upper levels.”

There was silence, and Kalluto wanted to put his dolls away, but Illumi stopped him.

“That is a possibility,” Chrollo said finally. 

“He knows we will go for treasures after a while,” Shizuku offered then. 

“That’s right,” Bonolenov agreed, “Boss, could he be waiting on to attack us when we go to rob the vault?”

“He has been a member of the troupe for some time, so he knows we want the valuables. Besides, there are significantly less passengers on the upper two decks. I suppose if he is there it will be easier to find him,” Chrollo mused out loud. 

After a shot pause he said, “Very well, we will check the upper decks. I have a good feeling about it.”

“Looks like we have competition,” Illumi said as Kalluto put down his dolls, “We need to hurry then, as I want the full amount of my reward.”

“We still have to wait till to in the morning,” Kalluto reminded him. 

“That is true,” Illumi said simply. 

Chrollo heading to the upper decks so soon was not part of their plan, as Illumi needed time to prepare everything. But he could not change anything at the moment. What he could do – what he will do – is attempt to delay Chrollo’s arrival. Starting with taking care of the member of the Heil-Ly mafia family who promised to guide them to the secret passageway to the second floor. He did not plan to kill the man initially. _But now that appears to be necessary._

“Go get some rest, we will have a lot of work to do later” Illumi told Kalluto, and his brother quickly left his cabin. There were still a few hours to kill before they had to meet their guide, so Illumi settled on the bed hoping to rest as well. He has not been sleeping too well recently, in fact, he barely slept at all since the departure of the ship. The exhaustion suddenly caught up with him and Illumi did not even notice as he fell asleep. 

_“You know, I have always loved your hair,” Illumi heard Hisoka’s voice and felt his fingers running though his hair._

_“Don’t you dare put your gum any where near my hair,” Illumi warned Hisoka without opening his eyes. It was still much to early to wake up._

_“I would not dare ruin this perfection,” Hisoka said innocently, but Illumi did not believe him. _There is nothing innocent about him at all.__

_“We haven’t seen each other in so long, and instead of talking to me you are sleeping. Have you not missed me at all? I am so very wounded,” Hisoka said and Illumi simply scoffed. _Right.__

_“Very well, if you are not going to get up by yourself, I think I know the perfect way to ensure that you are awake,” Hisoka said and pulled at the comforter. Illumi started to silently curse at himself for falling asleep without getting dressed after their encounter last night, but in a moment he was too distracted by the feel of Hisoka’s hot mouth on his flesh._

_“I’m trying to sleep he…ah,” Illumi started to protest, but the words died in his throat._

_“What was that?” Hisoka said, getting distracted from his task for a moment. Upon not hearing any more objections, Hisoka continued on._

_The feeling of intense release left Illumi wide awake. He opened his eyes to see Hisoka smirk lazily._

_“I knew that would work,” Hisoka said, as he settled back onto the pillow._

_“What was it you wanted to talk about?” Illumi asked then._

_“About the nen exorcist – tracking him down was quite a task, but watching the man work was fascinating,” Hisoka said._

_Illumi nodded along to show that he was listening._

_“The nen exorcist said he has never seen a nen binding curse that strong,” Hisoka added._

_“And you said it was one of the people who took the Hunter Exam with us that put the curse on Chrollo?”_

_“Yes, it was Kurapika – do you remember him? He was spending a lot of time with Killua and Gon,” Hisoka told him then._

_Illumi tried to remember, but could not. He was focused on two things back then – passing the exam and getting Killua to come back home. Other examinees did not interest him._

_“Do you know how he did it?” Illumi asked then._

_“From what Chrollo told me, he…” Hisoka’s voice slowly faded._

Illumi woke up breathing heavily. Recently these vivid memory-dreams haunted him quite often. 

Illumi got up from the bed and seeing as he still had some time, he went into the corridor to take a short walk to distract himself. _The task would have been so much easier if Chrollo still did not have his nen,_ Illumi though to himself. Hisoka would have laughed at the suggestion before and tell him that he did not play with broken toys, but now things were different. Besides, Hisoka has already played with his “broken toys,” as he killed Kortopi and Shalnark when they did not have nen. _No, we need to succeed at any cost._

While walking through the corridor, Illumi suddenly overheard the voices of Mizaistom and Botobai. They sounded concerned and Illumi, making himself undetectable with the help of his assassin skills, stopped by the door to listen to their conversation. 

“What do you think I should do? Should I tell him?” Mizaistom asked. 

“You should,” Botobai responded, “If the Spider is on board, they are likely targeting the Kakin royal family, so he will find out sooner or later. Better he finds out sooner that he has a chance to prepare for the fight.”

“But how would the news impact him? He is already dealing with politics, plots, and assassination attempts, I am afraid that this could be the last straw that breaks him,” Mizaistom said. 

“Even if they are not here to kill the members of the royal family – that is, if they are simply here for the Kakin treasures, do you really think he will avoid meeting them anyways? Yes, he is a bodyguard for a prince, but I am sure bodyguards will be thrown into the battle if the Spider was to make the way to the upper decks.”

“You are right,” Mizaistom said then, resigned, “We will need to do our best in order to prevent them from coming up. But I will also tell Kurapika that they are on board.” 

_Kurapika…why does this name sounds familiar,_ Illumi wondered. After a long moment he suddenly remembered his dream. _But of course, the one who sealed Chrollo’s nen. <.i>_

_Illumi walked away from the door, losing interest in the conversation, as his mind was now focused on the newly discovered information. Kurapika was on board of the ship and that meant that they could try using his nen sealing ability to ensure victory over Chrollo._

__I just need to make sure he cooperates,_ Illumi thought. It was, of course, possible to ensure compliance with inserting a needle in his brain, but Illumi would rather not attack Kurapika– after all, Illumi did not want to end up with his own nen sealed. _No, I will need to offer him a deal.__

_Hisoka mentioned that Kurapika worked with him back in York New City. _If Hisoka was able to convince him to cooperate, I will undoubtedly be able to do that._ _

_Satisfied with the plan, Illumi headed back down the corridor to find Kalluto – the time of the meeting with the guide from the mafia quickly approached, and all this planning would be in vain if they were unable to make it to the upper decks of the ship. Illumi always preferred to focus on the most pressing task first and worry about all other tasks later, as that resulted in maximum efficiency._

_“Did something happen brother?” Kalluto asked, when Illumi came in to his room._

_“No, why?” Illumi asked._

_“You seem to be in a better mood,” Kalluto offered, as they exited into the corridor._

_“Sleeping greatly helped,” Illumi simply answered, walking ahead of Kalluto._

__Our circumstances have significantly improved._ _


	2. Chapter 2

Kurapika sighed and leaned against the back of his chair, feeling the oncoming headache. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths in a futile attempt to relax, hoping that the headache would pass, but unpleasant tension traveled from his temples to the top of his head and culminated in a sharp pain just above his right eye. _Wonderful._

Teaching a nen class to other bodyguards proved to be a tedious and challenging task, as none of them were especially eager or diligent students, and Kurapika had to admit that at one point he thought about giving up on them. However, now that there appeared to be someone who was targeting those unable to use nen, Kurapika felt obligated to help the rest of the bodyguards learn nen and learn it fast. _If we do not hurry, other princes will soon be left defenseless. We cannot allow it._

It was understandable, of course, that some of the bodyguards arrived at the conclusion that they, Prince Woble’s bodyguards, were the ones behind the murders. After all, they happened in Prince Woble’s quarters during the lecture taught by Prince Woble’s bodyguards. _A more logical conclusion would be that this was a perfect set up._ Kurapika, knew, of course, that he could not expect others to see through this. 

Even though another bodyguard, Veleriente, helped in dispelling some of the suspicions, the rest of the bodyguards did not trust them. _I cannot blame them._ Trust did not come easy aboard the Black Whale and for a good reason –and that made it even more crucial to find the attacker. _Before the suspicions shifts form us, the bodyguards, to the Prince Woble or to Queen Oito._

 _Queen Oito…_ Kurapika reminded himself to inquire about the progress of her nen lessons. If the killer targeted those who were unable to use nen, it was imperative that Queen Oito mastered at least the basics. Of course, Bill or Kurapika himself would always be by her and Prince Woble’s side, but he would feel much more comfortable if he knew she had basic nen competency. _In the worst case scenario._

Nen knowledge could also help Queen Oito in case they were able to successfully go through with the current escape plan and smuggle Queen Oito and Prince Woble to the lower decks of the ship. Kurapika recognized the numerous flaws of their plan, however, at the moment, it appeared there was no better alternative. _I hope it won’t come to this. I must come up with a better plan._

The most glaring flaw of the plan was, of course, the fact that the door separating the upper two decks of the ship from the lower three was locked and under constant military supervision. _Only a large incident on the upper decks, like a massive fire, will cause them to open the door._ But starting a fire would likely result in numerous casualties and that was something Kurapika wanted to avoid. Additionally, there was no guarantee that Prince Woble or Queen Oito won’t be harmed during the commotion that a big accident would cause. _After all, everyone will be trying to flee to the lower decks in case of an accident. When people are afraid they do not think, do not care about anyone else – only about themselves._

Another issue was, of course, that the atmosphere on the lower decks was far from peaceful. From the limited reports Kurapika knew that mafia families ran the show down there – and that they were not at all efficient in curbing crimes. Robberies, murders, assaults were all daily occurrence, it appeared. _Definitely not the optimal place to keep Prince Woble safe._

Then there was the fact that the king would likely order the soldiers to search for the missing prince and his missing wife. While there were many passengers on the lower decks, Kurapika did not doubt that it would be feasible for the Kakin army to find Prince Woble and Queen Oito. _If only there was a way to completely conceal their true identities._

As dangerous as going to the lower levels of the ship would have been for Queen Oito and Prince Woble, remaining on the upper decks was not much safer. _No, they could only hope for safety off this ship. _Kurapika swore to the Queen that he would help her and the Prince escape from the ship and survive the succession war, and he fully intended to keep his promise. _They rely on me. I cannot fail.___

__Kurapika opened his eyes and looked to the ceiling, feeling the headache pulsate in his temples. While his concern for Oito and Woble was at the forefront of his mind, there were other problems he had to deal with. The most pressing of which was recovering the eyes of his brethren from Prince Tserriednich._ _

__Anger rose up in his chest when he thought about this. He has not been able to get closer to the Fourth Prince or learn any significant information. Kurapika knew, however, that he was not leaving the ship without those eyes. _I need to work faster. I will get the eyes from him, nothing will stop me – not now, not when I am so close.__ _

__According to the information that Mizaistom provided to Kurapika, it appeared Prince Tserriednich had all the remaining eyes of his kinsmen. The realization that the end of his quest is so near caused Kurapika to feel certain unease. He did not know what he would dedicate his life to once he buried all his brethren. Kurapika felt a lump in his throat and pushed the thought away. _I cannot get caught up with this now, I need to be strong.__ _

__Besides the recovery of his brethren’s eyes and saving Prince Woble, Kurapika needed to think about the Zodiac’s mission. Kurapika had his concerns over the mission’s progress, but all they could do at the moment was wait. _We will only get one chance at doing this right.__ _

__Kurapika sighed exasperatedly, closing his eyes again. _So many tasks, so many duties. Is there a way to make a correct choice if any of them were to be in conflict with one another?_ He did not know. Kurapika took several deep breaths. _Just like that Hunter Exam test,_ he mused, _It appears that the correct answer is silence, as this is an impossible choice._ An unwelcomed memory suddenly sprang to his mind._ _

___“But what if one day you really have to make a choice like that?” Gon’s voice rang in his ears, causing his headache to worsen._ _ _

__Kurapika hoped and prayed he’d never have to answer this question._ _

___All I need right now is for the Phantom Troupe to appear out of nowhere, just to add to all the troubles. Or the fate might think I do not have enough on my plate,_ Kurapika thought gloomily. He slowly opened his eyes, still feeling the pressure of the headache and looked at the clock.  
It was almost eight, and the Queen Oito asked him to come see her and the Prince, despite the fact that he was not on duty this evening. Kurapika got up and walked down the corridor, approaching the doors of the Prince’s room. After a brief hesitation, he knocked and walked in. _ _

__The room was warmly lit, and the air smelled faintly of flowers. Queen Oito sat on the low couch, rocking Woble’s cradle with her right hand and holding a cup of tea in her left. Upon seeing Kurapika, she gave him a light smile._ _

__“There you are,” she said, “Please come in and sit with me.”_ _

__“Thank you, your Highness,” Kurapika nodded and walked over to one of the chairs across from Queen Oito. The Queen’s maid came by and poured some tea into Kurapika’s cup. He picked it up and took a sip, enjoying the pleasant light aroma of fresh mint coming from the tea._ _

__“Is there any progress on…” Queen Oito trailed off, but Kurapika knew what she was asking about._ _

__“Not yet, but we are doing everything we can,” he replied calmly._ _

__It did not escape Kurapika that Queen Oito grew paler at his words. Her right hand clutched the rails of the crib so tightly that her knuckles became white._ _

__“I assure you, Your Highness, we will catch the attacker and soon. In the meantime, neither you nor the Prince have anything to worry about – the attacker only targets are those who cannot use nen. Bill or I will always be by your and the Prince’s side.”_ _

__“I am not worried for myself at all,” Queen Oito said, “I just want to keep Woble safe.”_ _

__“And I assure you, we will do just that,” Kurapika said, looking at her with a reassuring smile, “In the meantime it is also important that you keep up with your nen classes – so that you could protect the Prince too.”_ _

__Color returned to Queen Oito’s face and her furrowed brow smoothed - it appeared she believed him. The Queen has come to trust him in such a short amount of time - all because Prince Woble seemed to like him. Kurapika knew he would do anything to prove that the trust is not misplaced, as he’d recently realized he’s come to care for Prince Woble and Queen Oito. From the moment he’s held Prince Woble in his arms, it was as if something has moved inside him – he knew he had to protect her. _I will not allow this innocent child to suffer._ The Queen, being as intelligent and perceptive as she was, seemed to have picked up on Kurapika’s attitude. _ _

__“Speaking of which,” Kurapika continued, “How are your classes going?”_ _

__Bill was the one teaching nen to Queen Oito, and he claimed that she was making slow yet steady progress. It was important for Oito to be competent in the use of basics of nen, and Kurapika hoped that she could master them in due time._ _

__“It is rather difficult, I must admit,” Queen Oito said, looking at Kurapika, “But I think I’m starting to understand it. Bill told me that we could conduct a water divination test tomorrow to find out my nen type.”_ _

__Kurapika nodded upon hearing that, wondering for a moment what the Queen’s nen type was.  
“But it does not matter to me what type the test will show,” Queen Oito continued, “As long as it allows me to protect Woble.”_ _

__“It is possible to develop protective and defensive techniques regardless of type,” Kurapika explained. _Depending on the type it could be easier or harder, of course,_ Kurapika thought but did not say out loud. It was good, however, that Queen Oito did not have a preconceived notion of what type would be best. Kurapika suddenly remembered his own frustration upon learning that he was a Conjurer and not an Enhancer. _That was quite foolish of me. How good that I have since came to realize that being a Conjurer serves my purpose just as well – if not better – than being an Enhancer would have._ Kurapika had to admit it took him some time to come to the understanding of the one of the most important concepts of nen – that you always need to learn to adapt. _ _

__“Will you teach me how to develop those techiniques?” Queen Oito asked then, looking at Kurapika._ _

__“I will help you as much as I can, Your Highness,” Kurapika agreed, “But a teacher, even a good one, could only help so much. At a certain point everyone is left one on one with heir abilities – and that is where the true growth happens, in my opinion. But I am sure you will be able to manage just fine – with your intelligence and capabilities for learning.”_ _

__In the slightly dim light of the room it almost seemed like pale pink blush bloomed on Queen Oito’s cheeks. _Must be the trick of the light._ _ _

__The room was silent for a while then, and Kurapika felt strangely at ease. The world suddenly felt small, the size of the Prince’s solar itself. Outside the door was the succession war, the recovery of the eyes, the Zodiac’s mission, and here in the room, it was just him, sitting in silence with Queen Oito and sleeping Prince Woble and enjoying his tea. Kurapika suddenly felt a lump in his throat – he hasn’t felt this way in a long time. _Not since I left home._ _ _

__Looking over at Prince Woble sleeping peacefully in her crib, Kurapika could not contain a smile. Queen Oito continued rocking the crib ever so slightly, while gently fixing Prince Woble’s blanket._ _

__“I wanted to thank you,” Queen Oito said suddenly looking Kurapika in the face, “For giving Woble and me hope. Truth be told, I do not think I’ve felt so safe in a while – even with everything going on…”_ _

__Before Kurapika could answer, the door opened and another one of Queen Oito’s maids walked in with a concerned expression on her face. She quickly crossed the room to the Queen, and then whispered something into her ear. Queen Oito’s brow furrowed as she listened and nodded. Afterwards, she thanked the serving lady and sent her away._ _

__“Is everything alright, Your Highness?” Kurapika asked, concerned._ _

__“The King summoned one of his wives to his bedchambers,” Queen Oito said absently. A moment later, upon noticing surprised look on Kurapika’s face she added, “Not me, the second queen. Luckily.”_ _

__The Queen’s sudden frankness surprised Kurapika. But more than anything he was surprised by the way Queen Oito’s words made him feel – he too was glad it was not her the king has summoned. _Why am I even thinking about this? King Nasubi is Queen Oito’s husband, after all,_ Kurapika thought, irritated at himself. _ _

__“I should not say such things, of course,” Queen Oito continued, hiding her face in her hands, “I feel like such a fool. I was so blinded by the promise of a life in the lap of luxury, I could not see the truth. The only good thing to come of all this is Woble and even she might be taken away from me.”_ _

__Queen Oito’s hands helplessly fell onto her lap as tears streamed down her cheeks. Moved by a sudden impulse, Kurapika reached over and gently touched her right hand._ _

__“Prince Woble will not be taken from you,” he said calmly, looking Queen Oito in the face, “I promised you once before and I swear to you again – no harm will come to your daughter or to you. I will find a way to get you two off the boat and to safety. Prince Woble will not be paying for anyone’s mistakes.”_ _

__There was unusual softness in Queen Oito’s gaze when her eyes met Kurapika’s._ _

__“I trust you. If you are certain, then so am I,” she whispered ardently, lightly squeezing his hand._ _

__Kurapika felt dull ache in his heart upon hearing Queen Oito’s words. He felt that prior to this moment he did not comprehend, not truly, how desperately tragic her and Prince Woble’s situation was. Prince Woble and Queen Oito had this large family, but instead of turning to family for support they had to rely on him, an outsider. _All because of a sick tradition some old kings of Kakin have come up with.__ _

__Anger rose in Kurapika’s chest – King Nasubi could have done away with the tradition if he wanted to. _And shouldn’t he want to? They are all his children, after all._ But the king seemed all to eager to put a sibling against sibling, and watch as only one emerges victorious living behind bloodied corpses of their siblings. _ _

__Kurapika pitied the princes. In his clan, any member of the clan could rely on others. They were all one big family. If one could not trust his own kin, who else could they trust? The memory of his brethren caused dull pain in Kurapika’s chest._ _

__“Fate must have been smiling upon us when you responded to our posting,” Queen Oito said, few tears shining in her eyes, “Now Woble has a chance to grow up and have a life.”_ _

__“She will – she will have a long and happy life,” Kurapika replied, knowing that he would do everything he could to make that happen. Looking at Woble asleep in her crib, Kurapika felt resolute. _I will ensure that Prince Woble and Queen Oito get off this ship, I will find a way to help them. I will find a way to protect them.__ _

__“I cannot put the full extent of my gratitude into words,” Queen Oito said, warm glimmers flickering in her beautiful dark eyes. Kurapika suddenly caught himself looking into her face too long, and forced himself to look away. “But you had a long and difficult day. I can only imagine how exhausting it is to teach nen, as I am completely drained from simply trying to learn it.”_ _

__“It gets better with time,” Kurapika offered, “But you should take more breaks, Your Highness, if the lessons exhaust you so.”_ _

__“I need to learn nen fast so I can protect Woble,” Queen Oito argued, raising her chin in defiance._ _

__“Yes, you need to protect prince Woble and you will be able to. But overexerting yourself would only slow down your learning progress,” Kurapika explained patiently._ _

__“Very well, then I shall rest too,” Queen Oito conceded after a moment. Kurapika nodded and got up from his chair._ _

__“Good night, Your Highness,” he said about to turn around to walk out of the Prince’s room._ _

__“Good night,” Queen Oito replied after a short pause, looking at him from under her eyelashes and smiling lightly._ _

__Once Kurapika made his way to his room, he was about to collapse on his bed from exhaustion. Suddenly, a tense feeling arose in his chest. _Something is not right._ He looked around, trying to determine what in his room appeared out of place. It took a moment before he noticed a piece of paper neatly folded on his desk. _This was not here when I left.__ _

__Kurapika walked over to the desk, and examined the piece of paper. At a quick glance, there appeared to be nothing unusual about it, but at a closer look, Kurapika realized that there were remnants of someone’s nen upon it. Kurapika focused – it took a few long moments before he’s discovered that aura on the paper belonged to Mizaistom._ _

__Satisfied by the discovery, Kurapika picked up the paper and unfolded it. There were only three words, but three words were enough to make all the color drain from Kurapika’s face._ _

___This cannot be._ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, took me a while, but here is a second chapter (next updates will be quicker, since I already have a draft of chapters 3 and 4). 
> 
> This will be one of 5 Kurapika POV chapters, the other 10 are all Illumi POV. 
> 
> I'm also feeling like doing more Hisoillu one-shot fic requests. So whoever guesses what Oito's nen type is can request what kind of Hisoillu one-shot they want and i’ll write it. I would appreciate if guesses were submitted to my [ askbox ](https://alyssaallyrion.tumblr.com/ask) though, since her nen-type is plot relevant, and I'd hate to have to delete comments with correct guesses. 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


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